10 facts that explain the hail danger in Texas

By mySA staff

on May 26, 2016 10:57 AM

Cost of the April 12, 2016 hailstorm in the San Antonio area, which is the costliest hail storm in Texas to date.

$1.4 billion:

Cost of the April 12, 2016 hailstorm in the San Antonio area, which is the costliest hail storm in Texas to date.

Photo: William Luther, Staff / William Luther

$1.4 billion: Cost of the April 12, 2016 hailstorm in the San...photo-9801367.130163 - |ucfirst

3.5 inches:

The size of a hail stone from the April 12, 2016 storm found south of Helotes, which is about the size of a grapefruit.

3.5 inches:

The size of a hail stone from the April 12, 2016 storm found south of Helotes, which is about the size of a grapefruit.

Photo: Twitter Screen Shots

3.5 inches: The size of a hail stone from the April 12, 2016...photo-10096840.130163 - |ucfirst

18 inches around, 8 inches across:

The size of the largest piece of hail ever recorded in the U.S., which is about the size of a volleyball. The hail fell in Vivian, South Dakota on July 23, 2010, according to Cory Van Pelt, National Weather Service meteorologist. The hail weighed 1 lb. and 15 ounces. This is the actual photo of the hail.

The humidity from the Gulf makes Texas a unique place for weather, according to Cory Van Pelt, National Weather Service meteorologist. Humidity meets the dry air that moves westward in the spring and “you get pretty much all extremes in this state,” Van Pelt said.

Gulf of Mexico: The humidity from the Gulf makes Texas a unique...photo-9905235.130163 - |ucfirst

394,572:

Number of hail damage claims in Texas from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015, which ranked first in the U.S. for most hail damage insurance claims during that time, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.